Knowing People
by Generated Anomaly
Summary: Because Ianto Jones knew people. It was his talent. He could take one look at someone and determine in that exact moment the type of person they were.
1. Chapter 1

**I felt like writing, but not quite ready to post the next chapter of WtEMs yet, so here's another Torchwood oneshot for ya. Decided to try a little one-sided thing for the first time. Might do Jack's perspective on this whole thing too, if you'd like. Just let me know. Well. I hope you enjoy.**

Ianto Jones just stood there like a deer caught in the bloody headlights as he watched one Captain Jack Harkness snog one married Gwen Cooper. His heart fell into his stomach as soon as he opened the door to Jack's office and saw the two of them. They didn't even have the decency to pull apart, even though Ianto was more than sure he made a pretty loud entrance. They just kept going at it and Gwen kept making those sickening sounds. Ianto Jones felt like crying.

Not even a manly type of crying. More like a little girl whose doll's head got flattened as her drunken father ran over it with the family pick up truck.

It took a good couple of seconds and one loud grunt on Jack's part to knock Ianto from his stupor. And it took only 3.4 seconds after he regained his senses to slam the door behind him and swiftly exit the Torchwood base and hit the road. Ianto felt stupid. Oh god, did he feel stupid. He had actually thought that he and Jack—Had thought that they might—Fuck, what did it matter what he had thought? It was obviously wrong. He was just the easy screw.

God damn it! What did Jack even see in her anyways? She was whiney and didn't listen. And frankly, the gap between her two front teeth was way beyond subtle. So why would he do that? Dry hump a married woman in the very same office that he had made love to him? Well, I guess Jack just thought of it as fucking, sense you had to have some sort of feelings for it to be making love.

Maybe Jack Harkness didn't have feelings. Maybe all he had was this big, gapping, sucking black hole in his chest that just sucked people dry and left them to be soulless husks after he was done with them. Maybe that's what Jack considered fun.

Ianto Jones couldn't drive anymore. The tears in his eyes were blurring his vision so badly that he didn't even know where he was anymore. Oh god, why did he have to be so stupid? What did he do to deserve this? He went to church, he paid his god damn taxes. He even saved the world nearly every bloody day! So why? Why did he hurt so much? Why did he let stupid Jack Harkness suck his heart dry and leave him for dead?

Because Ianto Jones knew people. It was his talent. He could take one look at someone and determine in that exact moment the type of person they were.

The moment he laid eyes on Owen Harper, he knew that guy was a complete arse hole. It was that smug smile and gleam in his eye. He knew Toshiko Sato was absolutely brilliant, but didn't realize it herself. It was the way she could hardly hold your eye contact, and would mumble strings of information under her breath when you needed it. He knew that Gwen Cooper was a caring whore, she'd care about everyone, and because of that could never be grateful for what she had. And Jack Harkness…

One look into Jack Harkness's eyes, and Ianto Jones knew the universe. As strange as that sounds, it was they only way that he could descrive it. Jack knew almost all the answers, knew what to do. He knew what the future held, how people acted. But he didn't seem to know the important answers. And that haunted him.

Jack Harkness was a one man for every one type of guy, and Ianto figured that he was because he had to be. For a man to know so much, to live for so long, it was impossible to settle down. Because as soon as you became settled, it got ripped up from beneath you. People betray you or die, they leave you in the end and you're left to pick up the pieces until you yourself leave this earth. Except if you're Jack. Jack can't die. And he's left to pick up the pieces for all eternity.

That doesn't take away Ianto's tears, though. It never will. Because Ianto Jone's isn't immortal, he hasn't seen the universe. He's seen maybe a 6th of the world, been loved once in the 8th grade by the creepy girl that sat in the back of the classroom eating her hair, and went his Prom by himself. He hasn't seen worlds burn, but he has seen hundreds of people die. And he has loved. Just once. Now. To that stupid heroic Captain Jack Harkness. And he will continue to love him because Ianto Jones knows his part in the Torchwood base.

He makes coffee, drives the van, cleans up, and lets Jack Harkness forget the horribleness of the universe for at least a couple of hours.

And as he sat there, sniffling like a baby in his little car, Ianto Jones realized something. He realized that he was okay with that. Because that made him important to Jack. Ianto knew Jack would always sleep or kiss someone else, move on once Ianto passed away, and maybe they'd love him too. But they could never love the Dear Captain like Ianto did. Because his love didn't come from how long that stopwatch kept running in the middle of the night, or how long he was kept moaning. It came from Jack himself.

His handsomeness. His humor. His smile, his laugh, his eyes, his everything. Every little thing that made up Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones loved with all his heart. Would always love for as long as his Torchwood shortened life would allow him to live.

So as Ianto Jones started his car and headed back towards base, he decided that Jack could kiss Gwen all he wanted. Because Gwen with her gapped teeth could never be as perfect as he himself could be. With his perfect teeth and strong yet comfortable body and neatly pressed suits. Because Gwen was just a conquest. Jack may never kiss her again. But Ianto was muck more than that, and he knew it. Because Jack kept coming back to him.

Ianto Jones strolled into the Torchwood hub like he didn't see what he had last time he was in here. Didn't let the nervous glances that Gwen shot him bug him as he made his way to Jack's office. Ignored the surprised look on Jack's face as he stood in the door way, and just smiled.

"Would you like some coffee, Sir?"


	2. Not Knowing

**Thank you for all who reviewed.**

"Would you like some coffee, Sir?" It was just a simple question given with a smile, yet it confused Jack beyond belief. What was Ianto doing? Wasn't he suppose to be upset and grieving after finding Jack and Gwen kissing in Jack's office? Jack thought he would be, yet he wasn't. And this upset the older man.

Jack had spent a good portion of the night dreading seeing Ianto's torn face and hurt filled eyes in the morning. He even had practiced an apology about ten times in front of his office mirror. But it looked like he didn't need it. Maybe he should've given Ianto a bit more credit.

"Yes, Ianto. Thank you." Jack nodded, keeping his voice deep and professional because he honestly didn't know how to act at the moment. And when Ianto gave a slight nod and left the room, Jack stared after him.

Kissing Gwen had been… Well, it had been. There was nothing great in the kiss, just a mix of lips, tongue and teeth. It was a kiss and it was what Jack needed. Because Gwen intrigued him. Gwen who was so full of life and who was so caring. All that attracted Jack, and when something attracted him, he needed to have it. And now that he had it… Well, there wasn't much else to it, besides the fact it was fun. But when Ianto walked in on them like that, it suddenly not fun. Jack's heart had sank when he saw the retreating form of the younger man. It was a feeling he wasn't quite used to so he ignored it. He ignored it until he had his fun with Gwen and she left. He couldn't ignore it when he was all alone though. Because it had persisted and grown over time and it was eating at his heart.

What had he done? What was this feeling?

Jack was sure is heart was broken. Well, what was left of his heart. The only thing that had made it even slightly bearable was knowing that Ianto was effected by it too, and that he could apologize in the morning and make things right.

There was a slight miscalculation on Jack's part, though, because Ianto was perfectly fine. He was walking around the hub like he always did, bring coffee to all the Torchwood employees. He even stopped to have a chat with Gwen about how Rhys was doing. The only one that looked uncomfortable about it was Gwen.

Jack was completely stumped. How could Ianto be so… fine with it? Sure, they weren't a couple, but Jack was more than certain that Ianto had feelings for him that run beyond what one should feel for their boss. But maybe he had misread the situation. Maybe all Jack was to Ianto was a part time shag.

Wow. He actually felt disappointed. He just had to do something about that.

"Ianto, would you care to step into my office?" Jack called out as he leant back into his chair and propped his feet up on his desk. Ianto appeared in the door way a split moment later with Jack's favorite coffee mug in his hand.

Moving across the office, Ianto placed Jack's mug on the coaster set on the side of the desk. "Sir?" He asked, his voice strong and sure as he straightened his tie before folding his arm neatly in behind him.

"Ianto, about last night…" Jack tried, his hands coming to rest in his lap as he stared up at the lovely Welshman.

"What about it, sir?"

Jack's eyebrows furrowed as he examined the youngest member of his team's face. He honestly didn't seem to even care that Jack was messing around with someone else. And Jack cared that he didn't care. Oh, how he cared. "You left in such a hurry last night, I didn't get to invite you to a game of naked hide-and-seek!" Jack smiled one of his dashing smiles, trying to get something out of the other man.

"Well, I figured that you and Gwen were having a good enough time without me, I didn't want to intrude." Ianto smiled. He actually smiled as he said that.

Jack's smile faltered for a second. "Awh, Yan! You know my motto! The more the merrier! We could've used an extra person!"

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, Sir, but I had plans last night that needed attending." If Ianto noticed that change in Jack's expression, he didn't mention it.

"How about tonight, then? Care for a round of strip poker?" Jack smile grew suggestive as he leant farther back in his chair, moving his hands behind his head as his eyes trailed lazily over the Welshman's body.

Ianto shook his head. "Sorry, Sir. But I have a date. Actually, I was wondering if I could leave a little early today, since it's been quiet and all today. If that's alright with you, Sir." As Ianto stared down expectantly at Jack, Jack felt his heart sink even farther into his stomach. A date? Ianto had a date? With someone other than him? How…? When…? All Jack could do was nod. And with that nod, Jack broke his own heart as he watched Ianto leave the hub.

But Jack wasn't one to stand in the side lines. And it wasn't beneath him to spy on a date.

So when everyone left the hub that night, Jack snuck out himself. Thanking Torchwood protocol for making it mandatory for each member to have a tracking device on them at all times, Jack hurried off in the direction of where Ianto was.

And Ianto Jones was at his flat, alone, eating ice cream while watching a movie with his cat. Jack almost felt like laughing. Why had Ianto lied to him? Why did he blatantly lie in order to hurt Jack's feelings? Jack smiled. Maybe Ianto was more upset that he was letting on.

Smiling broadly to himself, Jack made his way over to Ianto's flat, and knocked on the door. He had to hold back a girly giggle when Ianto opened the door and nearly dropped the tub of ice cream on the floor. "Jones, Ianto Jones." Jack chuckled, shaking his head as the younger man ran his fingers through his messy hair, trying to straighten it.

"S-sir? What are you doing here?" Ianto studdered, his eyes wide in shock.

"I was wondering if I could join you on this date, Yan." Jack's eyes sparkled as he took a step closer to the disheveled man in front of him. "Maybe even take you out on a real date. What do you say?" There lips were almost touching and Jack's mind was swimming and this was a lot better than any kiss that Gwen or anyone else could give him. Maybe it was time to rethink his motto.

"What do you mean, Sir?" Ianto whispered, his eyes slowly closing as their lips brushed lightly against each other.

"Would you like to go out on a date with me, Ianto Jones?" Jack mumbled as their lips crashed more securely together, tongues finding each other desperately. And though Jack never really got a straight "yes" or "no", he took all the little gasps and moans that Ianto made as a 'yes'.

**I'm actually considering making this a multi-chaptered story, but I think it ends just fine right here. What do you guys think? **


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